Starvation

This is not a tale of long distance hunting, but rather an observation from the other side of the Pond which might be of interest to all Hunters everywhere. I am sure that carelessness is not uniquely a Brit failing. I posted this on a UK Site previously...

I was stalking a couple of weeks ago, and noticed this Fallow Doe joining a group of about 20 that I was stalking into. She was feeding normally but was moving slowly, more slowly than the others, and looked to be thin, but not sickly apparently.

Any way, got close enough with a little patience, and put her on the grass. Noticed her haunches and pelvis were sticking out, and ribs evident, so got on with normal suspended gralloch. She appeared young, not pregnant, and when I got the gralloch on the ground her rumen appeared to contain hard snooker ball sized lumps together with a bunch of shredded black plastic, baler twine and polyprop rope.

This was revealed inside the rumen and the lumps were hard encysted grit.

Maybe she had been eating grit to try and shift the blockage? Any way she only weighed 42 lbs as opposed to around 65... and 0% kidney fat, so she'd been in trouble for some time by the looks of it. No other abnormalities noted, lymphatics all normal, lungs OK, no liver fluke.

So, lesson learned and ought to be propagated: If you see baler twine and cordage and plastic bags lying about..... pick them up and dispose of safely. This is no way for any animal to suffer due to Mans carelessness.

Pete
i have also had shot a deer (Roe) which swallowed bailing twine it had jammed in its intestines.Discoverd this once i had gralloched it as i was almost sick with the rotting smell!!
ohh nice set up on the 4x4